


How We Are As People

by Monstrosibee



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, afterlife one shot, he deserves nice things and nice people!, i was sad for my grandpa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:20:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23044666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monstrosibee/pseuds/Monstrosibee
Summary: "He honestly hadn't expected to wake up, so he thought that this might be the afterlife, such as it were, and he was probably dead."
Relationships: Nightbeat/Rung (Transformers)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 77





	How We Are As People

Rung of the Pious Pools-but-Probably-Actually-A-Long-Forgotten-Place woke in a much smoother manner than his old systems were accustomed to, and it took him a long time to open his eyes. He honestly hadn't expected to wake up, so he thought that this might be the afterlife, such as it were, and he was probably dead. The air was cool against his plating, a light breeze ghosting against his face so lightly it might've just been his imagination, and the sting of fresh metal reached his nose.

"Hey, you planning on sitting down there for a while?" He finally opened eyes and was greeted by vision obscured by dust and dirt. Probably the remnants of his own body, if this really was the afterlife, but then why would he have to worry about living issues like dirty glasses? Sitting up, he withdrew a cleaning cloth from within his subspace and wiped at the detritus on his lenses, squinting into his blurry surroundings.

"Not much longer, I believe. Give me a moment to put my eyes back on..." Inspecting his handiwork, Rung slid the glasses back onto his face and then smiled as the speaker came into focus. "Nightbeat! I thought that was you. Would you mind giving me a hand up?"

The detective offered his own smile where he was leaning over him, and then nearly threw Rung to his feet by the hand. "It can be a little disorientating, I know. At least you were dignified about it - I woke up face down with my aft in the air." He laughed out loud when Rung tried to cover his own chuckle. "Go ahead and laugh. Skids thought it was hilarious."

The smaller bot brightened, glancing around at their surroundings. "Oh, is he here? I suppose he must be, or..." A featureless plane of what might've been metal or maybe stone yawned around them, the horizon far enough that disappeared into a haze, like a mirage in the desert. Eternal twilight hung over their head, and he couldn't name any of the constellations he could just make out in the darkening blue, though funnily enough the two moons of Cybertron glimmered there.

Nightbeat made a middling gesture with his hand, looking up in a mirror of Rung's movement. "Nah, he's gone on ahead. He was the one that waited for me, and he seemed pretty ready. Told me to tell you hi though, and that he'd see you later."

A rush of energon as he tilted his head back farther sent Rung's vision into a bit of a tailspin, and Nightbeat held a steadying hand against his back, grabbing one of his hands as it pedaled to regain balance. "Careful there, you're still a little out of it from dying."

"That is somehow not the strangest thing I've heard someone say to me in the past several years." Nodding in thanks, Rung pulled away from the hand at his back, though he left his tucked into Nightbeat's other. "Skids waited for you? I'm assuming that means this isn't quite the final destination."

Making no effort to take his hand back, the detective examined the old nicks and scars on Rung's knuckles. "Not yet. We got another elevator to take before that happens. Though I'll probably go up first." He offered an apologetic face. "Just seems to be how it works."

Rung frowned, squeezing his hand tighter around Nightbeat's fingers. "How what works?"

"We all seem to wait for someone." Reciprocating the squeeze, he glanced back up at the sky at the two moons. "Sometimes it's someone important to you, or maybe just someone you met in passing that somehow deeply impacted you. Skids said he thought it was some weird mechanic of dying, something the afterlife makes us do so we get used to the idea of being dead, but I think it's just how we are as people."

"Oh?" Rung could feel the soft smile crinkling at the edge of his eyes. "And how are we as people, in your opinion?"

"We don't like to be alone." Static jumped between Nightbeat's thumb and the back of Rung's hand as he rubbed it gently, stepping closer so he could lean against him. "And I think that means we don't like others to be alone either. It's something of a species wide issue, isn't it?"

"Imagine, delaying the final reward because you thought I would be lonely."

"Of course I would." The detective offered a bump of his forehead against Rung's temple, which he had to stoop a little to reach. "I figured you were alone at first when you were born, and it'd really suck to wake up dead and be alone at the end too. Figured you could use a friend."

The warmth in Rung's dead spark was a cross between thankfulness and guilt. "You figured this all out with your incredible investigating skills, did you?"

Nightbeat couldn't mask the smug look that jumped across his features. "Well, of course, since I AM the greatest detective on Cybertron." His voice lowered, softened, and he looked directly into Rung's face. "And because I know you, and well...I DID miss you. Maybe a little."

Standing on his tiptoes, the first Cybertronian placed a gentle kiss on the greatest Cybertronian detective's cheek. "And I missed you too, Nightbeat. It's been very quiet on the ship without you snooping around."

The smile on Nightbeat's turned a little goofy, and he stumbled over his next words a bit. "W-well, it'll be lonely up top without you. Who do you have to wait for? I knew it was going to be you as soon as I got...got here."

Rung stared off into the distance for some time, something ticking away in his mind. Then he looked back at Nightbeat, sighing. "Oh I don't think I'll be waiting for anyone. It would be lovely to see them all again, but they've forgotten me, and I don't think they'll remember until it's their turn to reach our 'final destination.'"

"Are you sure?" The look on Nightbeat's face was a combination of sympathy and guilty excitement. "There's no one?"

"I've got one of most important one's right here with me." Rung patted his arm gently, and the detective grinned. "And they'll see me eventually. I also imagine that they all have their own someone already waiting for them, just like you had a someone and I had a someone."

Nearly vibrating with pleasure, Nightbeat swept his unoccupied arm out to his side in a dramatic bow. "Well then, oh great first Cybertronian, it is my PERSONAL pleasure to escort you to the afterlife!"

And they walked on.


End file.
